Tightrope
by PiperPaigePhoebe01
Summary: Alternate ending to Are We Family?. Emily runs to catch Damon at the studio... except this time, she's not too late.


**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I do not own Make It or Break It. If I did, then I probably would not have ended the season finale the way it did.

**Author's Note: **So the ending of last Monday's Make It or Break It made me cry, and I couldn't resist writing a "What if" about what I wish happened. Damon and Emily are meant to be together.

**Summary:** Alternate ending to Are We Family?. Emily runs to catch Damon at the studio... except this time, she's not too late.

* * *

**Tightrope  
**_by PiperPaigePhoebe01_

_Dear Emily,_

_I know you said not to contact you, but I couldn't stop myself. I won the NPR contest. I'm going on the European tour with Green Day! My flight leaves tomorrow after the radio show on channel 86.7. If you want to say goodbye, you'll know where to find me. I'll be gone for six months. I want to see you again, but I understand if you need to stay focused._

_I love you, Emily. And I hope you will come to say goodbye._

I stared at the words written on the paper in my hands, unable to avert my gaze. I read it at least three times before I managed to fold the note, tuck it in my pocket, and hurry to the counter. Carter was just about to exit the kitchen, but I stopped him.

"Turn on the radio," I demanded.

Carter turned to look at me. "What? Why?"

"Just turn it on to 86.7!"

My voice cracked at the end of my sentence, and Carter seemed to realize that I was serious. He reached behind the counter, turning the radio on. Static issued from the speakers for a moment, but then Damon's voice echoed through them.

"—when I was in the Shelter Pups, I was the guy who wrote the songs," he said. "I never saw myself as a front man."

"So you're the guy behind the scenes," the DJ said. "What changed?"

"You guys," I heard Payson say. "That's Damon!"

"Where?" Lauren asked.

"On the radio," Kaylie said.

Payson, Lauren and Kaylie came around to the counter, but I couldn't pay attention. All I could focus on was the radio and Damon's voice.

"Well, it's the one thing that changes everything," Damon said.

Carter turned to grin at me, our gazes meeting. I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.

"A girl," the DJ responded.

"Believe me, this isn't just any girl," Damon said. I could see him in my mind, leaning close to the DJ, eyes sparking with passion. "She... inspires me. She made my music better. She made me better."

And I could see him turn pensive, eyes almost far away.

_You made me better. You made my gymnastics better._

I curled a hand around my silver and bronze medals, remembering the rush I felt when I stuck the blind landing on the vault and the way I rotated around the high bar, having a near-perfect routine. Without Damon... I wasn't sure it would have been possible to stick that blind landing or have the confidence in my bar routine to let myself fly, to let myself be free. But with him... it felt like it was all possible.

"So I take it she's not in the picture anymore?"

"She's pursuing her own dreams right now," Damon said. "And I know she's kicking ass."

That was yet another reason why I loved him.

_He's always so supportive. He always encourages me in my dreams. No matter what. And he never stops believing in me._

"All right," the DJ said. "Well, we're sitting here with Damon Young. He just won a nationwide talent search and it says here—and I can't believe this is true, but it says you had a phobia about singing in front of other people. When did that end?"

"It's about to end now."

I bit my lip. The last time Damon had tried to sing in front of a crowd, he had ended up running away—but then... things have changed since then. And I believed in him.

"Woah," the DJ said, his voice full of shock. "So this is the first time you're actually going to—"

"—s-sing my songs in front of strangers," Damon said.

"And what turned that around?"

"Well, that would be the same girl," he said. I felt my heart jump inside my chest; never before had I felt like this before. Never before had someone told me that I meant so very much to them. "Two days ago, I told someone I loved them for the first time. I never really allowed myself to fall for anyone before, to let them in." He paused. "Well, I finally did."

_So did I, Damon._

"I love you, Emily—"

_I love you too, Damon._

"—wherever you are, and I'm so glad that I told you and I'm so glad I can say that and then sing it to the world. Letting go and loving you... opened me up, made me free. Free enough to do this."

There was silence for a minute.

"You made me better too," I whispered.

"So you're leaving for a six month European tour tonight," the DJ said.

_He's leaving tonight. _My throat tightened. _And I won't see him for six months._

"Let's give these people a little taste of what they're gonna get."

"This is for you, Emily," Damon said, so much more confident than the last time he had dedicated a song to me. "I thought you would have come to say goodbye. I guess you really are letting me go... but thank you for giving me the guts to fall, for opening me up to life. I'll never forget you."

A split second of silence, and then a guitar began playing. Another beat of music—and then Damon began singing.

_I don't want to wait too long  
__I don't want to break it down  
__The sun is sinking just like stone  
__And it's hard for me to breathe_

I smiled for a moment, letting his words wash over me, but then—_I guess you really are letting me go. _His last words ran through my mind.

It was then that I realized.

"I have to go say goodbye," I breathed. "He's going to think I didn't care enough to say goodbye."

I turned, my mother cheering me on. Kaylie said that she would drive me, and I was about to leave when I caught sight of my mother and Steve Tanner. I doubled back.

"Do what you want," I said. "Love who you want."

Then I ran out of the Pizza Shack, Kaylie right at my heels.

* * *

_My mind is missing pieces of you.  
__Fear and the pain have gone.  
__But I'll keep holding, holding...  
__And I'm higher before than I've ever been  
__I was walking a tightrope.  
__Can't you see that nobody wants to be alone?  
__I was walking a tightrope.  
__Can you catch me if I let go?_

Kaylie and I sped through the traffic, weaving our way through the cars in Boulder. I took my hair out of its tight ponytail, combing my fingers through it. Damon's voice filtered through the car, and I closed my eyes, concentrating.

_Please_, I begged. _Please let me get there in time. Please let him not have left... please. Please._

"We'll get there," Kaylie reassured. "I promise."

Finally, after what felt like ages, we pulled into the parking lot. I put my hand on the door handle, turning to look at Kaylie.

"Well, go!" Kaylie said. "Before it's too late! Go!"

_Before it's too late..._

That got me out of the car. I ran through the parking lot and through the doors. As soon as I entered, I could hear Damon's voice echoing through the building.

_As far as I can see  
__The world is turning out of time_

I rounded the corner.

_Oh. Thank **God**._

A crowd of people was congregated around the sound booth. I could just barely see the head of a man—probably the DJ—through the slight gap in people. And I didn't hesitate. I pushed my way through the crowd of people as Damon began the chorus once more.

"Excuse me," I murmured. "I'm sorry, please excuse me."

People began to murmur as they saw my jacket, but I didn't pay attention to their curiosity. I needed to get to Damon. There was nothing else in my mind but getting to him and seeing him once more before he left for six months.

Finally I pushed my way to the screen.

"Damon!" I breathed.

He didn't see me, too caught up in the song to notice. But I was no longer worried. He was there, right in front of me, and I would be able to say goodbye. I almost leaned right up against the window, so eager I was to see him in front of me, singing a song that he wrote _for me. _A song that he was able to sing himself... all because of me. I let a smile cross my face as he continued singing.

_And I'm higher before than I've ever been  
__I was walking a tightrope  
__Can't you see that nobody wants to be alone?  
__I was walking a tightrope.  
____Can you catch me  
____if I let go?_

_Yes. Yes. A million times yes._

The song drew to a close. Damon smiled and looked up toward the crowd—

"Damon!" I cried, almost pressing my face to the screen. "Damon!"

He saw me.

His mouth dropped open, but then he smiled, even larger than before. Before I knew it, he was running out of the sound booth and into the lobby. The crowd dispersed—as if they knew who I was, knew this was important—and I catapulted myself through the space and into his arms.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," I said. "It's just... Leo, he—"

Damon didn't let me finish. He leaned down, tilting my face to meet his. He kissed me gently, but I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He lifted me up off my feet, spinning me around before letting me go. He finally broke the kiss, our eyes meeting.

"It's okay. You're here."

"Yes," I whispered. "I'm here. And Damon—" I couldn't help smiling. "I couldn't be more proud of you in this moment."

Damon took in my Rock sweatshirt and the two medals still wound around my neck. He grinned back at me.

"Look at that," Damon said. "Two medals." He winked at me. "I knew you'd kick ass."

I kept my arms wound around his neck as I let out a laugh. "And you helped," I said. "With my vault. And my bars." I inhaled deeply. "I love you, Damon."

"I love you too," Damon whispered, leaning down to kiss me once more.

"A new development here," I heard the DJ said. Damon and I broke apart to turn our attention to him. "Emily, the young lady who stole Damon's heart, just arrived in the studio. It looks like she decided to say goodbye after all." He smiled into the microphone. "We'll cut this show short to give them time to say goodbye before he leaves. But if you want to hear more of Damon's music, then buy tickets for the Green Day European tour. The first show is in London next week."

I turned my face up to his. "You're leaving tonight?"

"Yes," Damon said. "They were going to prerecord the show, but then the weather in London was bad. They pushed my flight back a couple hours. I have to leave soon."

I nodded. "I'm glad I got here in time."

"Me too."

"I almost didn't," I said. "I would have gotten your note yesterday, but Leo took it when I went to clean out my locker. He claimed that he was doing it to protect me, so that I wouldn't be distracted during the competition. But the truth is... I did want you there. And the fact that you _weren't _distracted me more than if you were there."

Damon opened his mouth, but the DJ cut over him.

"I hate to interrupt this, but we have to get you to the airport, Damon," he said as he came out of the sound booth. "If you like, you can come with him, Emily."

"I want to," I said firmly. "I just have to tell Kaylie that she can go home."

* * *

Five minutes later, Damon and I were in the car on our way to the airport. I had my head on his shoulder, and our hands were clasped tightly, the back of his hand resting lightly on his thigh. We did not say a word, but that said it all. I soaked in every moment and every feeling—the way his thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of my hand, the way my head fit perfectly into the crook of his shoulder, and the complete peace and comfort I felt in his presence.

"Why did you tell me to stay away from you that night?" Damon finally asked, breaking the silence.

I lifted my head from his shoulder in order to look at him. "Well, I... Sasha found about my job," I said. "That's why I quit. And then Sasha told me that I lost the scholarship. I broke the rules and suffered for it. That scholarship was half of my family's income... and now it's gone."

"God, Em," Damon breathed. "I'm so sorry."

"That issue's resolved, I think," I said. "I showed the National Committee that I deserved to be at the Rock at the invitational and I think they'll give my scholarship back." I took a deep breath. "But Sasha's face... he was disappointed that I broke the rules. And I knew that I couldn't break the rules anymore, not a single one—especially not right before the meet. So I... had to. I'm sorry."

Damon nodded. "That makes more sense," he said softly. "Then why did you come after me tonight?"

"Because I couldn't let you leave without—without you knowing how much I care about you—how much I—love you. If you had left, and didn't know how I felt... I could never forgive myself. You would have thought I didn't care enough to say goodbye."

Once more, Damon nodded. "I knew you cared," he said. "And I guess I knew that you had a good reason for not saying goodbye." He kept his eyes fixed on mine. "But where do we go from here? I'm going to be gone for six months, Em."

"I know," I said. "But you have to follow your dreams." I smiled at him. "We'll... make it work somehow. My mother just got Skype on her laptop, so we can communicate that way. And I hope I'll get picked for international meets soon, so maybe we can see each other then."

"Would you be willing to do that?" Damon asked. "You'd still be breaking the rules."

"I'm willing," I said. "I can't seem to stay away from you—and I don't want to. Not anymore."

"We're here," the DJ, Mark, said.

This was it.

I smiled at him, squeezing Damon's hand. We both got out of the car together and made our way into the airport, as Mark had said he would bring in Damon's guitar and suitcases. Silent, we walked into the building, my chest tightening with every step I took. I felt an uncomfortable tickling in the back of my eyes, but I blinked back the tears.

He might be leaving, but it was not the end.

_We are going to make this work._

"Fifteen minute warning for the 8:35 flight from Boulder, Colorado to London," a cool announcer said over the intercom. "Fifteen minutes."

Neither of us seemed to know what to say, so we made our way to the terminal silently. Mark caught up to us just as we stood in front of the entrance to the terminal, hands clasped.

"You're going to kick ass," I said, smiling up at Damon. "You are going to come back to Boulder a famous rockstar, and then I'll have to try and measure up to _you._"

Damon smiled too. He looked excited and nervous and sad and hopeful all at the same time, his hand tightening around my own. Then he let go of my hand, putting his hands on either side of my face like he had done so many times before. His eyes bored into my own, making me safe and—yes, loved.

"Emily, the last time I went away, you wanted me to ask you to wait for me," Damon said. "Well, this time, you won't have to ask."

"Neither will you," I said. "Yes, Damon, I will wait for you."

Damon leaned down to kiss me. I pressed my lips to his urgently, wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing myself closer to him. His arms wrapped around my waist, almost lifting me up my feet with his strength. I poured everything into that kiss: my hopes and dreams and love. He seemed to do the same thing, finally lifting me up off my feet as we kissed for what seemed to be an eternity. When we separated, my lashes were damp with tears, and his face looked sufficiently wet as well.

"Last call for the 8:35 flight from Boulder to London. Last call."

I managed to keep my watery smile on my face. "Good luck, Damon," I said. "I know you're going to be _amazing._"

"You too," Damon said. He looked at my medals still wound around my neck. "You're going to continue killing it out there. Watch out, world. Here comes the next Olympic Champion!"

I laughed for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Damon leaned in, kissing me one last time. This time, it was over quicker than I could blink, but the feeling of his lips against mine lingered long after he had turned to walk onto the plane, arms laden down with his guitar and his suitcases. He looked back at me right before he disappeared from my view, smiling at me. He waved for a moment.

I lifted my hand to wave back—but he had already turned to go. I let my hand fall to my side, watching his retreating back until it was out of sight. It was only then that I turned back to Mark, the tickling feeling in the back of my eyes growing stronger. I wiped a tear from my eye as I silently followed Mark back through the airport, into the chilly night, and into his car.

"I've never seen a story like Damon's," Mark said, "not in ten years in this business." He turned to look at me, as I was now in the front seat. "You must be an amazing girl if you can inspire a guy with a phobia like Damon's to sing in front of a crowd of people like that. He must really love you."

"He does," I said softly..

"Hey," Mark said, noticing the way my eyes dropped to my lap. "Don't worry about the distance or the time or anything, all right? If anything, absence makes the heart grow fonder, to use a cliché. You guys are going to be fine. You're going to come out of this separation stronger than ever."

I didn't say anything, just nodded and stared out of the window, but I knew he was right. Damon and I... we weren't people to give up. We would get through this separation, both of us pursuing our dreams wherever they took us, and in six months... we would be together again.

And then—

Well, like Damon said, sometimes you have to break the rules—and love was definitely a reason to risk it all.

* * *

_Your gravity will pull me close,  
__And it's all I ever need.  
__Don't let me fall and break in two,  
__'cause all we are is skin and bones.  
__So just keep holding on.  
__Just keep holding on._

* * *

**Author's Note: **This turned out much longer than I expected, but I really enjoyed writing it. I felt like the lyrics to "Tightrope" fit perfectly with Damon and Emily's relationship, so I couldn't help incorporating some of the lyrics into the end as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and please review? Thanks so much!


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